North Korean and Russian children participate in a culture event at Songdowon International Camp in North Korea, July 30, 2024, in this photo released by Korean Central News Agency the following day. Yonhap
North Korea on Friday denounced Britain for including a North Korean children's camp in its new sanctions list over suspected involvement in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, calling it a "heinous politically-motivated provocation."
A spokesperson at North Korea's foreign ministry slammed Britain for sanctioning the Songdowon International Children's Camp for suspected ties with Russia, according to a statement carried by the North Korean Central News Agency.
"Britain's such reckless act is a heinous unethical politically-motivated provocation to tarnish the external image of our state and disparage the DPRK-Russia relations of friendship and cooperation by unreasonably linking our children's camping facility with the groundless issue of 'forcible migration' of Ukrainian children," read the statement.
DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
It further called the designation "an intolerable insult to our dignified state," adding Britain's "hostility toward the DPRK is exceeding the limits."
On Monday, the British government included a range of Russian individuals and entities in its latest sanctions package. London suspects the camp is linked to Russian-led forced deportations and the indoctrination of Ukrainian youth.
Located in the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, North Korea, the camp was established in 1960, and has long been used to disseminate propaganda and promote loyalty to the regime among young people.
In December, a Ukrainian online newspaper reported, citing a legal expert, that at least two Ukrainian children were believed to have been abducted by Russian troops in Ukraine and forcibly transferred to the camp.
Source: Korea Times News
